Bracket for paint cans

ABSTRACT

A two piece bracket for supporting a paint can from a ladder. One of the strips has a loop which passes over an upper rung of the ladder, a bent portion which is straight to engage a side of the paint can, a lanced portion between the loop and the bent portion and an opening at the other end adapted to join the other strip. A second strip having a loop at the one end adapted to go over a lower rung of the ladder and notches at the other end which are adapted to make a joint with the opening. In an alternate use the second strip has an extension which is adapted to form a portion going above the lower rung of the ladder and having opposite notches which will join the opening in the first strip reversed to support the paint can in front of the ladder.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,814,364

Gargaro 1 June 4, 1974 BRACKET FOR PAINT CANS Primary ExaminerJ. Franklin Foss [76] Inventor: Michael Gargam, 129 Westover Attorney, Agent, or Fzrm-Jackson, Jackson and D12, Cherry Hill, NJ. 08034 Chovanes [22] Filed: Feb. 6, 1973 1 pp 330,012 A two piece bracket for supporting a paint can from a ladder. One of the strips has a loop which passes over 52 us. Cl. 248/210, 248/311 "PP?r of the laddera hem Pmio" which is 511 int. Cl. E06c 7/14 Straight to engage a Side Pailt a [58] Field of Search 248/210 21 l 238 310 portion between the loop and the bent portion and an 248/311. 5 opening at the other end adapted to join the other strip. A second strip having a loop at the one end [56] References Cited adapted to go over a lower rung of the ladder and notches at the other end which are adapted to make 21 UNITED STATES PATENTS joint with the opening. In an alternate use the second 9841,59 2/191 1 zfnsmflycr u 248/238 strip has an extension which is adapted to form a porgqzgg g l gig 5:? tion going above the lower rung of the ladder and hav- 41973 "5 X ing opposite notches which will join the opening in the first strip reversed to support the paint can in front of the ladder.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures minnow-4mm U 3.814.364

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PATENTEDJUN 4M4 3814.364

' SHEET u (If 4 1 BRACKET FOR PAINT CANS My invention relates to brackets for paint cans which connect with rungs of a ladder.

A purpose of my invention is to support a paint can from a two piece bracket, one of the pieces having a loop which extends around a rung of the ladder and has a substantially vertical portion below it terminating in an opening near one end. The other portion is a second strip adapted to connect to the first and having a loop which extends around a lower rung of the ladder.

A further purpose is to make a connection between one strip at an opening and another strip at notches.

A further purpose is to provide an upper strip portion having a loop adapted to extend around an upper rung of the ladder and having a portion depending vertically below it and having a loop near the lower end, the first strip being adapted to be put on the ladder to extend either backwards or forward with respect to the ladder,

' and a second strip having a loop at the one end adapted to extend around a lower rung of the ladder, opposite notches at one end adapted to engage the lower end of the first strip rearwardly extending position and having an extension over the loop which is adapted to engage the first strip when it is reversed and hung from the ladder in the forward position.

A further purpose is to provide a two piece bracket which is adapted to support a paint can from a ladder in front of the ladder, having a first strip having a loop at one end adapted to extend around an upper rung of the ladder, a portion which will depend below the loop and an opening at the lower end, a second strip having a loopat one end adapted to extend around the lower rung of the ladder, bent around to provide a portion extending horizontally above the loop, and notches near the other end which are adapted to make connection with the first strip.

Further purposes appear in the specification and the claims.

In my invention, I have provided two forms, one intended to support the paint can behind the ladder and the other intended to support the paint can in front of the ladder.

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the bracket in the simplest form.

FIG. 2 is a vetical section of a ladder, a paint can and the bracket of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing an alternate form, still supporting the paint can behind the ladder. I

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 in which the upper strip portion is reversed and engaged with the lower portion in the alternate position to support a paint can in front of the ladder.

In the invention, there are two essential parts of the bracket, one connected to the upper rung of the ladder and the other connected to the next lower rung of the ladder with an interconnection between them.

In the form of FIGS. 1 and 2, there is a loop near the upper end, a bend at 21, an essentially vertical portion 22 and anopening 23 near the lower end which is intended to interconnect with the lower strip section. Near the upper rung supported loop is a lanced portion 24 which is intended to support a bail 25 of an open paint can 26.

The loop 20 goes over a rung of a ladder having rails 31. The straight portion 22 is adapted to support the side of the paint can 26. There is a stiffening rib 32 at a bend 33 at the end of the loop 20. At the lower strip portion there is a loop 40 at the end which is adapted to go around a lower rung 41, preferably the next lower rung on the ladder. It has a bend 42, a bend 43 having a stiffening rib 44 and a bend 45 having a stiffening rib 46 so that it provides an end portion 47 which is substantially horizontal. The end portion 47 has pairs of adjoining notches 48 which are adapted to cooperate with the opening 23 to make a joint 50 as shown, as a result of slipping the lower strip through an elongated vertical portion of the opening 23 and then rotating it one half turn as shown to locate it on narrower portions of the walls of the opening 23.

In the form shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, there is an extension 55 from the lower strip portion which is bent at 56 and then has an arcuate section 61 which extends generally horizontally and above the lower rung 41 and the loop 40 of the lower strip section. On the portion 61 there are cooperating pairs of notches 62 which are exactly like notches 48 and are prepared to receive the upper strip section at elongated opening 23 and then be locked by rotating one-fourth turn as previously described. In the position of FIG. 3, the parts are assem bled just as in the position of FIG. 2 on the back of the ladder. However, this position may be reversed in respect to the upper strip as shown in FIG. 4, in which case one of the pairs of notches 62 is used in order to support a bail 25 and a can 26 on the front of the ladder. The pairs of notches 62 are put along a slightly curved extension 61 in order to keep the depending portion 22 vertical regardless of the position of the joint 50. The extension 55 thus forms one branch of a bifurcated strip, both of the branches having sets of opposite notches which are capable of making connection optionally to the walls of opening 23.

In view of my invention and disclosure, variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I therefore claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent is:

l. A bracket for mounting a paint can from a ladder, comprising a first bracket strip portion having a loop at one end, a hook for a bail of the paint can adjacent the loop on the first bracket strip portion, a bend in the first bracket strip portion adjacent the hook, and an opening adjacent the other end, a second bracket strip portion having a bifurcated portion, the branches ofwhich each have a set of opposite notches which cooperate with the walls of the opening to connect together the two bracket strip portions, and a loop at the end of the second bracket strip portion, remote from the bifurcated branches, whereby the bracket may be optionally erected on either the front or the back of the ladder with the bracket strip portions connected together with either of the bifurcated branches of the second bracket strip portion connected to the first strip portion at the opening, the loops being connected to adjoining rungs of the ladder in optionally front or back position. 

1. A bracket for mounting a paint can from a ladder, comprising a first bracket strip portion having a loop at one end, a hook for a bail of the paint can adjacent the loop on the first bracket strip portion, a bend in the first bracket strip portion adjacent the hook, and an opening adjacent the other end, a second bracket strip portion having a bifurcated portion, the branches of which each have a set of opposite notches which cooperate with the walls of the opening to connect together the two bracket strip portions, and a loop at the end of the second bracket strip portion, remote from the bifurcated branches, whereby the bracket may be optionally erected on either the front or the back of the ladder with the bracket strip portions connected together with either of the bifurcated branches of the second bracket strip portion connected to the first strip portion at the opening, the loops being connected to adjoining rungs of the ladder in optionally front or back position. 